The photo of the week is another great example of Pleistocene giantism in mammals. In the photo you see a recent (very) leg bone from a kangaroo held next to the fossilized leg bone of a Pleistocene kangaroo, known as Procoptodon. HUGE DIFFERENCE! The bone from the ancient kangaroo is at least 10-15cm longer and much, much thicker. Procoptodon, stood around 2m tall and weighed in at a massive 230kg! Compare this to a modern kangaroo which, while similar in height, only weighs about 90kg. You can see the difference in the bones….
(Photo: Matt Herod)
I took this photo in 2009 during my trip to Australia at a friends sheep station near Port Augusta. You may have seen other photos of the week from this same place such as stromatolites, or the mystery fossil (seriously, what is it?). It was, without a doubt, the most diverse geological place I have ever been. These Pleistocene remnants were found there, along with others from giant wombats. The owners have also found ancient emu egg shell, and arrowheads from early aboriginal people. Gold exploration has taken place nearby as well as an oil well was drilled and produced a few barrels…don’t ask me how gold and oil can be found on the same property…it blows my mind.
Anyway, enjoy the pic.
Cheers,
Matt
